Knitting machine drive mechanism



Nov. 14, 1967 s. MISHCON 3,352,128

KNITTING MACHINE DRIVE MECHANISMS Filed June 1, 1965 3| 4? 35 e o 1/ I l3 I O 45\ 46 747 H L A Q 0 Z IN VENTOR Sam vM/shcon f flu; 1 4

ATTORNEY United States Patent KNITTING MACHINE DRIVE MECHANISMS Sam Mishcon, Belle Harbor. N.Y., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 1, 1965, Ser. No. 460,084 2 Claims. (Ci. 6656) ABSTRACT OF THE DISQLOSURE This invention relates to circular knitting machines of the type adapted to partake of oscillatory motion incident to the formation of knit fabric strips, and more particularly, to a novel and effective drive mechanism for imparting oscillatory motion to a circular knitting machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a drive means for an oscillating circular knitting machine which can operate smoothly and quietly at high speeds.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a drive means for oscillating a circular knitting machine which may be applied with a minimum of alteration to a circular knitting machine originally designed to be rotated continuously in one direction.

With the above and addition-a1 objects and advantages in view as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 represents a top plan view of a circular knitting machine having the drive means of this invention applied thereto,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the knitting machine of FIG. 1 taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1 through the pivotal connection of the drive means with the knitting machine cam ring, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the drive means taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional type circular knitting machine frame including three evenly spaced legs 11, an intermediate platform 12, and an annular upper frame ring 13 carried by the legs. Extending radially beneath the frame ring 13 and journaled on one of the legs 11 is a drive shaft 14 to which is fixed a sprocket 15 adapted to be driven by a belt 16 from an electric motor (not shown). Carried on the drive shaft beneath the frame ring 13 is a bevel gear 17 in response to turning movement of which the knitting machine is driven. The drive shaft 14 may include an operator influenced clutch device 18 for starting and stopping the knitting machine while the sprocket 15 is driven continuously by the motor.

Referring to FIG. 2, a needle cylinder 20 is secured as by bolts 21 to the upper frame ring 13. The needle cylinder 20 is formed with parallel vertical needle slots 22 each slidably accommodating one of a bank of knitting needles 23. Each knitting needle 23 is formed with a yarn engaging hook 24 at one extremity and near the opposite extremity with a butt 25 protruding from the slot 22 in the needle cylinder.

A needle dial is supported concentric with and perpendicular to the needle cylinder by a plurality of angle brackets 31 secured by screws 32 inside the cylinder and by screws 33 beneath the dial. The brackets 31 are prefer- 3,352,128 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 ably spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the maximum throw of the oscillatory motion which may be imparted to the knitting machine. The dial 30 is formed with evenly spaced radial needle slots 34 each slidably accommodating one of a bank of dial knitting needles 35. Each dial needle 35 is formed with a yarn engaging hook 36 at one extremity and near the opposite extremity with a butt 37 protruding from the slot 34 in the dial.

The cylinder 20 and dial 30 thus remain stationary with the knitting machine frame and the needles 23 and 25 are moved endwise to accomplish knitting operations by means of an osclliating needle camming arrangement which will now be described.

The outer frame ring 13 is formed with a circular seat 40 in which is journaled a cylinder cam ring 41. A section block 42 is secured to the cylinder cam ring 41 between each of the brackets 31, and the cam ring and section blocks between each of the brackets 31 carry cylinder needle actuating cams 43 and 44 between which cams the butts 25 of the cylinder needles are constrained. The cam 43 is a draw cam passing over the needle butts to depress the needles, and the cam 44 is a raise cam which passes beneath the needle butts to elevate the needles. With this arrangement, upon oscillation of the cylinder cam ring 41, that group of cylinder needles between each of the brackets will be operated as the corresponding cams 43 and 44 are oscillated relatively thereto.

Posts 45 secured in diametrically opposed relation on the cam ring 41 have secured at their upper extremities a cross bar 46. The cross bar 46 also has secured thereto a pair of posts 47 secured in diametrically opposed relation to a dial cam ring 48 which is journaled between a shouldered race ring 49 secured on the dial 30 and an annular gib ring 50 secured to the race ring. Fixed beneath the dial cam ring 48 between each of the brackets 31 are dial needle actuating cams 51 and 52 between which the butts 37 of the dial needles 35 are constrained. The cam 51 is a draw cam passing radially outwardly of the needle butts to shift the needles radially inwardly, and the cam 52 is a raise cam which passes radially inwardly of the needle butts to urge the needles outwardly.

By means of the cross bar 46, the cylinder and dial cam rings 41 and 48 are tied together to partake of oscillatory movement in unison, and the group of cylinder and dial needles between each of the brackets 31 will be operated by the cylinder needle cams 43 and 44 and the dial needle cams 51 and 52, respectively, to produce a knitted strip. It will be appreciated that plurality of sep arate knitted strips which may be of different pattern or character depending upon the character of the cams 43, 44, 51 and 52 may be knit simultaneously on this machine.

For imparting oscillatory motion to the cam ring 41, the intermediate platform 12 is formed with spaced upstanding bearing columns and 61, the column 60 being arranged beneath the drive shaft 14. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, a stud shaft 62 is journaled vertically in the bearing column 60 and has fast thereon a bevel gear 63 arranged in mesh with the bevel gear 17 on the drive shaft 14. Also fast on the stud shaft 62 is a sprocket wheel 64. A belt 65 entrained on the sprocket wheel 64 drives a sprocket wheel 66 carried on a stud shaft 67 journaled in the bearing column 61.

The sprocket wheel 66 drives a crank for imparting oscillatory motion to the cam ring 41. To this end the sprocket wheel 66 carries a spacing disk 68 thereon to which spacing disk a crank arm 69 is secured by screws 70. The crank arm 69 is formed with a radial slot 71 which accommodates a theaded stud 72 extending from a shouldered crank pin '73. By means of a nut and washer 74 on the threaded stud 72 the crank pin 73 may e selectively clamped along the slot 71 to vary the disance of the crank pin 73 from the stud shaft 67 about vhich the crank pin is rotated.

A shouldered pivot pin 80 which is preferably identical with the crank pin 73 is formed with a threaded stud 81 3y which the pivot pin 80 is secured beneath a boss 82 which projects beneath the cylinder cam ring 41. The aoss 82 on the cylinder cam ring extends through an arcuate clearance slot 83 in the upper frame ring 13, the clearance slot 83 preferably being sufliciently longer than the ooss 82 as to accommodate the maximum amplitude of oscillation of the cam ring 41 provided when the stud 72 is secured in outermost position along the crank arm slot 71.

The crank pin 73 and the pivot pin 80 are operatively interconnected by a connecting rod which prefer-ably comprises identical pin embracing straps 85 each formed with an internally threaded shank 86 accommodating a threaded rod 87. A lock nut 88 on the threaded rod 87 serves to lock the connecting rod parts tightly together with each of the straps 85 constrained in pin embracing relation by means of a washer 89 and fastening screw 90 threaded into the pins 73 and 80 respectively. The connecting rod length may be selectively varied by removing the fastening screws 90 and relatively turning the straps 85 on the threaded rod 87.

The above described drive for imparting oscillatory motion to the needle cams relatively to the needles is particularly advantageous for use with circular knitting machines since the crank and the connecting rod are disposed beneath and substantially within the axial projection of the annular frame ring, and thus, do not impede operator access to the machine. Moreover, the arrangement of parts of the oscillating motion drive are readily interchangeable with conventional drives for imparting rotary motion in one direction to the needle cam relatively to the needles.

In a conventional circular knitting machine adapted for rotary motion in one direction, the bevel gear 17 would mesh with a gear ring associated with either the cam ring or with the needle cylinder and dial. Such a conventional rotary circular knitting machine may thus be readily adapted for operation in an oscillating fashion by removal of the gear ring and the installation of the drive of this invention.

Moreover, the oscillating drive of this invention is particularly smooth in operation and the reversals of direction of motion occasion a minimum of vibration and overthrow.

Having set forth the nature of this invention what I claim herein is:

1. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a fabric strip and having a stationary frame, a cylindrical needle supporting bed member having a plurality of adjacent knitting needles endwise shiftably constrained therein and mutually cooperative in knitting a fabric strip, a cylindrical needle cam supporting member, a needle operating cam unit carried by said cam supporting member and including a needle raise cam and a needle draw cam engageable sequentially with a plurality of adjacent ones of said knitting needles, means for securing one of said members on said stationary frame, means for journaling the other of said members on said frame for turning movement coaxially of said secured one of said members, and means for imparting oscillatory movement to said journaled member to shift said cam means sequentially into engagement with each one of said plurality of adjacent knitting needles cooperative in knitting said fabric strip comprising, a crank supported for turning movement on an axis fixed with respect to said frame, a drive shaft journaled in said frame and operatively connected to impart turning movement in one direction to said crank, and a connecting rod pivoted at one extremity to said crank and at the other extremity to said journaled member.

2. A circular knitting machine as set forth in claim 1 in which said stationary frame includes an annular frame ring and in which said crank and said connecting rod are disposed beneath and substantially within the axial projection of said annular frame ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 438,685 10/1890 Gifford et al 66-56 X 670,497 3/1901 Hill M 66-81 2,088,701 8/1937 Henning 6680 2,705,410 4/1955 Sirmay et al 66-56 X FOREIGN PATENTS 623,504 12/ 1935 Germany.

308,618 1936 Great Britain.

406,181 2/1934 Great Britain.

MERV IN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

W. C. REYNOLDS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING A FABRIC STRIP AND HAVING A STATIONARY FRAME, A CYLINDRICAL NEEDLE SUPPORTING BED MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF ADJACENT KNITTING NEEDLES ENDWISE SHIFTABLY CONSTRAINED THEREIN AND MUTUALLY COOPERATIVE IN KNITTING A FABRIC STRIP, A CYLINDRICAL NEEDLE CAM SUPPORTING MEMBER, A NEEDLE OPERATING CAM UNIT CARRIED BY SAID CAM SUPPORTING MEMBER AND INCLUDING A NEEDLE RAISE CAM AND A NEEDLE DRAW CAM ENGAGEABLE SEQUENTIALLY WITH A PLURALITY OF ADJACENT ONES OF SAID KNITTING NEEDLES, MEANS FOR SECURING ONE OF SAID MEMBERS ON SAID STATIONARY FRAME, MEANS FOR JOURNALING THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS ON SAID FRAME FOR TURNING MOVEMENT COAXIALLY OF SAID SECURED ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING OSCILLATORY MOVEMENT TO SAID JOURNALED MEMBER TO SHIFT SAID CAM MEANS SEQUENTIALLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF ADJACENT KNITTING NEEDLES COOPERATIVE IN KNITTING SAID FABRIC STRIP COMPRISING, A CRANK SUPPORTED FOR TURNING MOVEMENT ON AN AXIS FIXED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FRAME, DRIVE SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID FRAME AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO IMPART TURNING MOVEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION TO SAID CRANK, AND A CONNECTING ROD PIVOTED AT ONE EXTREMITY TO SAID CRANK AND AT THE OTHER EXTREMITY TO SAID JOURNALED MEMBER. 